But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. (2 Thessalonians 2:13,15 NKJV)

In the previous verses Paul, the Apostle is warning that God will allow the world to be deceived by the Anti-Christ during the tribulation hour because they received not the truth of the Gospel. Judgment is coming on this world system. Everytime you read in scripture about judgment it also carries with it an admonishment to God’s people to sanctify themselves and make sure their life is right with God.

Paul’s admonishment to the Thessalonians is to stand fast in the truth no matter what kind of deception there is around us. God chose us for salvation! He wants to bless our lives spiritually, physically, financially, yes in every way you can imagine. The blessing comes through a process called sanctification. Applying God’s truth to our lives washes us clean and sets us up for His blessing.

When Paul spoke of ‘holding the traditions’, he was speaking of the revelation that God entrusted unto Him. That revelation consists of all the ‘In Christ realities’ found in Paul’s Epistles. Knowing who you are in Christ is the foundation for experiencing God’s blessing on your life. Stand fast in those ‘In Christ realities’ and you will finish strong. For a list of those wonderful truths click here.